1. Field
The present invention is related to transmitting and/or receiving network protocol compliant signal packets and, more particularly, transmitting and/or receiving such network protocol compliant signal packets over a platform bus.
2. Background Information
As is well-known, with advances in state-of-the-art technology, computing platforms are coming equipped with circuitry and software that permits the computing platform to be managed remotely via a network. For example, it is becoming desirable to have the capability to diagnose and, in some instances, address problems from a remote network management application executing on a remote server or other computing platform. In this context, the term computing platform refers to any hardware and/or software system that includes the capability to perform logic and/or arithmetic operations. It includes, without limitation, computers, personal computers, laptop computers, servers, set-top boxes, digital signal processor based-systems, and the like. Of course, one disadvantage of providing this capability is an increase in cost for the computing platform that is to be managed remotely. Typically, such computing platforms must include the capability to communicate via a network, such as including the capability to transmit and/or receive network protocol compliant signal packets. Although this capability is typically being included in computing platforms, such as in a motherboard for a PC, for example, or as may be provided via a network interface unit or card, for example, providing further additional capabilities introduces additional expense into the computing platform.
For example, it is becoming desirable to have the capability for the computing platform to engage in such network management operations even when a host processor and a host operating system of the platform being managed remotely are not operating, assuming the platform, of course, includes a host processor and operating system. For example, the host processor and operating system may not be operating properly or, alternatively, the host processor may be in a low power state. Typically, providing this additional functionality would involve the expense of providing an ethernet controller or similar hardware having operating capability to engage in communications via the network even when the host processor is xe2x80x9coff-linexe2x80x9d. However, providing such a controller in addition to the standard network communications capability that is now typically provided with some computing platforms introduces additional, undesirable expense. A need, therefore, exists to provide this network communications capability between the computing platform and the network even when the host processor, for example, is off-line without introducing the expense of an additional ethernet controller, for example.
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a platform bus interface unit includes circuitry to divide a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over a platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet.
Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit includes circuitry to transmit over a platform bus at least a portion of the data provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet as signal packets of a smaller size.
Briefly, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention, a method of transmitting at least a portion of the data provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet over a platform bus includes the following. At least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet is divided into smaller data subsets. The smaller data subsets are transmitted over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets. The maximum amount of data capable of being provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet exceeds the maximum amount of data capable of being provided by a platform bus protocol compliant signal packet.
Briefly, in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the invention, a method of combining into a network protocol compliant signal packet at least a portion of the data provided by separate signal packets received over a platform signal bus includes the following. At least a portion of the data provided by the signal packets received is extracted. The extracted data is assembled into a single network protocol compliant signal packet.